Renewable energies such as solar energy are becoming an increasingly significant technology. Solar energy manifests in many different forms, one of which is wind energy that can be captured by wind turbines. Wind turbines employ blades or rotors that are aligned with the wind and turn when the wind passes over the blades. The turning blades in turn power a generator that effectively converts the potential energy of wind into electrical energy. Wind turbines commonly include a rotor having multiple blades that are mounted to a housing or nacelle that is positioned on top of a truss or tubular tower. In addition to the blade or rotor, a turbine also includes a drive train that typically includes a gearbox and a generator, a tower that supports the rotor and drive train, and other equipment including controls, electrical cables, and other interconnection and support equipment.
Because wind turbines have blades that rotate in the wind, there are many parts that move and require routine maintenance. Most maintenance is involve inspections of the turbine and the tower. To perform this maintenance, technicians must typically ascend the towers and perform inspections and maintenance tasks at various points along the tower including the top of the tower.